How Kansas State is helping and hurting Oklahoma

Oct 20, 2012; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooner receiver Kenny Stills (4) on the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The Sooners beat the Jayhawks 52-7. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Oklahoma’s September loss to Kansas State seems like a distant memory. To think OU fans were ready to throw in the towel on 2012 and forget about Landry Jones completely.

Now here we are one month later and Oklahoma is vying for a BCS bowl bid.

The Sooners have been playing some of their football in, dare I say, years. This is about as balanced as we have seen Oklahoma, but there is still a little over a month left until Oklahoma’s postseason fate is decided.

Right now, Oklahoma would be a lock for a BCS bowl if they can win the rest of their games. What is keeping them so high as a one-loss team is time and who their one loss came from.

Kansas State was not a pushover and they proved that to Oklahoma. The Wildcats got their revenge on the Sooners, who dismantled K-State last season in Manhattan, by shocking them in Norman.

A lot of the blame can be pinpointed on the Sooners themselves, but Kansas State is playing at a very high level right now. They are rolling through teams, which includes a thrashing of West Virginia yesterday.

Oklahoma fans should find some positive in the fact Kansas State is doing so well. It certainly makes Oklahoma look better only losing by five points.

However, there is a double-edged sword to this. Oklahoma needs Kansas State to keep winning to justify their only loss, yet the Sooners would like the Snydercats to lose twice in order for them to win the conference.

At this point, losing twice would involve a huge collapse for Kansas State. They are about as balanced as anyone in the country, and they continually keep getting the better of each of their opponents.

Now Oklahoma can win out and practically can be guaranteed a BCS bowl bid, and maybe Sooner fans would be fine with that.

Maybe Oklahoma could find themselves in New Orleans facing an SEC opponent. A win there would definitely restore some of Big Game Bob’s reputation.

Though, who is to say the Sooners could get stuck with the ACC or Big East champ in the Fiesta or Orange. Keep in mind, if OU and K-State both win out and Kansas State goes to the title game, then Oklahoma would be first in line for a trip to Glendale.

It is a cruel system, and with a playoff in a couple years, the Sooners and Wildcats would potentially be two of the four teams if a few others lost.

However, in the tail end of the BCS era, teams must still resort to cheering for higher-ranked teams to lose, putting up style points, and hoping people you beat and lose to do well before and after you play them.

It’s weird, but it’s college football. And whether you love it or hate it, the simple goal is to win all your games, and Oklahoma could not do that.